Far Away
by FortressOfMyPast
Summary: He is never going to initiate it, Mai knows this. She's convinced herself she's just waiting for the right moment. In reality, she's just proving she is capable of being as immovable as he is - it's only been eight years since she met him, after all.
1. 01

**Far Away**

He is never going to initiate it, Mai knows this. She's convinced herself she's just waiting for the right moment. In reality, she's just proving she is capable of being as immovable as he is - it's only been eight years since she met him, after all.

Rated M for Mature. Contains adult themes and scenes.

_This story is mainly based after the novels. If you have only watched the anime, you might be missing a few things. If you have read the various spoilers that are floating around the internet for the manga vol. 12, you'll be fine. Drop me a message if you want the link to what has been fan translated of the novels; I'll be happy to send them your way._

* * *

><p>Mai liked snow. Ice, however, was a different story.<p>

She sucked in a breath as the car slid across a patch of ice on the road, invisible to the eye.

"It was the right choice to leave the van for the night," Naru said.

Mai gritted her teeth. "Don't talk to me, I'm driving."

"Is that what you call it?" Naru had a hand on the dashboard to steady himself as Mai tapped the brakes at a red light. The car skidded a short distance before coming to a halt. She flicked the turn signal on, even though there was not another car in sight. They were the only ones stupid enough to be on the road in the weather, she thought.

Naru would have driven if she had asked. But she knew he didn't like driving, especially other peoples' cars. Just one of those things you learn after working for someone for almost a decade. Naru had taken the van to the case they were working this morning, leaving his car at the office. Mai had suggested just taking her car back, since the old van would have been hard pressed to find traction in these icy conditions.

Monk had been with them early, and Naru sent him back around midday to a due-any-day with their second child Ayako. Monk had quipped that ghosts were easier to deal with than a very pregnant wife, but Mai had seen the thankfulness in his eyes for going home.

She coasted into the parking lot of the Japanese branch of the SPR. After putting the car into park, she rested her head on the steering wheel. A moment later, she heard the door click as her boss got out.

Mai didn't want to go back on those roads, especially since dusk had fallen. She looked up, and realized Naru had gone into the office instead of straight to his car.

She turned off the vehicle and got out. She could warm up and steady her nerves in the office for a few minutes before heading out again.

*.*

"I thought you were going home," Naru said as she passed his office.

"I'm thinking of spending the night here," she said, collapsing onto the couch. She was shaky and chilled from the stressful ride, and they had only been thirty minutes from the client. If it had not been the first night, they would have probably spent it at the house.

Naru didn't answer, which meant he didn't care if she did.

She sat up when she sensed him standing over her. He was dressed well after meeting with the client in a silky gray dress shirt and black slacks. It had taken him some time to start adding color back to his wardrobe. Even the first time he had come back to Japan, he was still wearing black. Mai had asked him if it was because his brother's case went unsolved. He told her it was because there was no reason to let the clothes go to waste. Today, she might have been able to tell if he was lying, but back then she was still unsteady in reading his face.

His face had matured over the years, and he still wore his hair in the 'I could care less' cut, which looked fine to her. If anything, Naru had only improved with age. But when she looked at him like that, she felt like she was cheating on a memory.

"What?" she said, hoping her face was not betraying her thoughts.

"I'm leaving," he said. "Lock the door behind me."

She nodded and stood up. As she passed the window, there were large snowflakes coming down.

An eerie feeling crawled through her stomach. "Naru, it's snowing."

He paused in the doorway, waiting for the point of her statement.

"You won't be able to see the ice."

"I'll manage."

"I don't think anyone should be driving in that."

"Good night, Mai," he said, and shut the door after him.

She sprinted to the door and yanked it open. "Fine!" she called to his retreating back. "I'll say at your funeral: too foolish to listen to one of his psychics' hunches."

He stopped and gave her that look. She glared back, then went back into the office and closed the door behind her.

*.*

Mai sat back down on the couch. She was going to end up worrying about him all night. She should have told him to call her when he was back at his apartment. Nah, it would not have mattered, she thought. He would not have done it, and if she called him, he would not have answered.

"You didn't lock the door," Naru said, almost sending her to the ceiling.

"I knew you were coming back," she declared.

"I might have believed that before you jumped out of your skin." He draped his coat over the couch behind her. "I'll take some tea if you are making it," he said before disappearing into his office.

* * *

><p>Notes: This story is complete (5 chapters – a little over 5,000 words) because I have a phobia of not finishing a multi-chaptered story. There shouldn't be more than a week between updates, and the more interest, the faster I'll update. Favorites and alerts are great, comments are awesome. Unless you are going to berate me about adding another Naru and Mai story to this fandom – trust me, I already feel guilty about it, ha! x) But have you ever had that plot bunny that just won't go away…?<p> 


	2. 02

As expected. She rolled her eyes as she went to the kitchenette.

But it was unexpected when she entered the main room with the tea and found him in the chair, a pile of papers for the case they were working on in front of him. Naru preferred to write everything by hand rather than touch a computer, so none of the case notes were getting typed up while Lin was on a business trip to England. Though Mai had a feeling that if Madoka had her way, Lin was probably not going to get much business done anyway.

Mai cleared a small spot and set his cup on the table. She sat on the couch on the end closest to him, letting her own cup warm her hands. The tea was black, and while it wasn't as strong as coffee, she probably did not need the caffeine it offered. She took a sip anyway, hoping it would do the opposite and calm her jitters instead of increasing them.

"Is there something I can help with?" Mai asked.

"No, I don't need to be paying you overtime," Naru said.

"Does making the tea count as overtime?"

No reply. Mai shed her jacket and threw it over Naru's on the back of the couch. Underneath she wore a thin white blouse, and she felt the skin on her arms pebble from the sudden chill. Mai was glad she had worn jeans today instead of her favorite skirt. "Are the emergency blankets still in the closet?" she asked.

"They should be."

She set her tea down on the table, away from his papers, and went to the closet. She pulled out two dark plaid blankets, since he would not ask for one. But then, he most likely did not plan on sleeping here, she thought with a slight smile. If he was in the office, he might as well work.

Mai remembered that Taka had been going to carpool with her in the morning. Dropping the blankets on the couch, she retrieved her cell from her jacket pocket and selected her friend and co-worker from the address list.

"Hello," Taka answered.

Mai walked into the kitchenette to not disturb Naru. "Hey, it's Mai. I just wanted to let you know I didn't freeze to death."

"Are you stranded at that haunted house?" Taka asked, her voice laced with worry.

"No, I'm at the office. I'm going to spend the night, so if you can get out tomorrow, I'll already be here."

"All right. Did the boss get home before the snow hit?"

"No, Naru's here too," Mai said. She could hear the gears working in Taka's head, so she added hastily, "It's not like that."

"Of course not," Taka said cheerfully. "Have a nice night."

Mai hung up, suppressing a growl.

*.*

After Naru returned from England, Mai could remember when Taka and Chiaki's jaws had dropped because Mai continued calling him Naru. They had pulled her aside, asking, "Don't you think we should be calling him Davis-san?"

But Mai had already addressed that and had directly asked him. He had told her Naru was fine. Besides, he still used the name Shibuya here. He didn't want the public to know this place was maintained by Oliver Davis.

"Naru is fine," Chiaki had repeated, then sighed in mock defeat. "Good going, Mai."

'Good going?' There was no such thing. Mai didn't think Naru even considered her a friend. It was just a strong relationship of employee and employer. That conversation had taken place years ago, and Mai was still of the same opinion.

*.*

When Mai returned to the room, she sat on the opposite end of the couch. She sat back and ended up leaning on their coats, which didn't help matters. There was a whiff of their combined scents – hers, a soap of citrus. His was milder – she knew he didn't wear cologne, but his coat had a faint, spicy smell, like cedar wood. Maybe it had spent the warm season in a cedar chest. It made her think of foreign worlds.

She finished her tea and pulled a blanket over her. Mai didn't close her eyes, instead letting her gaze rest on Naru. He knew she was watching him. As usual, he didn't acknowledge it. That was fine; it was the game she was used to playing.

"_It's not like that,"_ she had told Taka. Because, how do you get close to someone who doesn't like to be touched?

Not that Mai blamed him. If one had to worry about anything you touched could sync you to that person's past and future, you learned to keep everyone at an arm's length away.

The last time Mai had seen Madoka, Mai had mentioned her worries. Madoka had laughed and said, "Don't give up yet. You're the closest person to him since his twin."

Yes, but it had taken her eight years.

At age sixteen, she had confessed to him. After his rejection, her love died. At least, she had thought so, but it had only been covered with a cloak that had become threadbare with age. Now in her early twenties, her heart had started to palpitate when he walked by, and she had been dumb enough to wonder why.

*.*

Mai sat up, uncertain when she had dozed off. She ruffled her hair that was cut just above the shoulders, letting it fall into place. Sometimes she considered letting it grow, but the short style was so easy to maintain.

Naru had turned off the overhead light, but left a lamp on.

In his chair he had fallen asleep. He had his head rested in his hand, the elbow on the armrest.

Most of the group thought Naru didn't sleep. But they were mistaken, of course. It was just that Naru didn't sleep in front of anybody. It forced him to lower his guards. Vulnerability and pride were traits that did not mesh well.

Maybe Madoka was right, Mai thought. Maybe he was comfortable with her. She moved back to her original seat on the couch, close to him.

Naru's eyes opened, and met hers.

Heat bloomed in her belly. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but restrained herself.

Breaking the moment, he stood up and started straightening the papers.

"It was always you," Mai said. She did not have the strength to look at him, so she kept her eyes on her hands.

There was a pause to the shuffling papers, so at least he was paying attention.

"Looking back," Mai continued, "I was so confused at the time. It was easier to say to myself 'I can't be rejected by Gene', than to admit that I had been rejected by you."

She looked up. He was watching her, his expression flat. But the look in his eyes told her he was truly listening.

Mai didn't have anything else to say. She looked down again, and listened to his cat-like steps approach her.

"Mai," he said softly, and there was a husky catch in his voice. She was pretty sure she had imagined it, for it sounded much too good.

She raised her head, and he was closer than she had thought. Involuntarily, she closed her eyes. She could feel his breath on her lips.

Mai longed for the contact but she sensed that he had moved away. She had not known how far until her eyes flew open at the click of the door closing after him.

* * *

><p>Note: Taka and Chiaki were characters that were more prominent in the novels than the manga and anime.<p>

Thanks for your encouragement everyone! It was very heartening. :)


	3. 03

Stunned was much too tame a word to describe what Mai was feeling.

Naru had almost kissed her.

Most girls would say that almost meant nothing, but they did not know Naru.

She opened the door, but he was not in the hallway as she had hoped. She went back in the office in disappointment.

Mai pressed her forehead again the window in the main room. She could see him standing on the sidewalk below. Just standing. And his coat was still under hers on the couch.

Well, that was one way to cool off.

She set her hands on her hips in irritation. After a moment, she rapped on the window.

He ignored her, so she pulled the window open and shouted, "Naru, get back in here. You are going to freeze."

"Shut the window, Mai," he said, just loudly enough for her to hear him. "I am paying to heat the office, not cool it."

She shut it forcibly. Jerk.

*.*

Mai made a fresh pot of tea, and was soon lost to what she should do next. She sunk into his chair to wait. When she was about ready to go down there and force his coat on him, he came in.

There were a few flakes in his hair that had not melted yet. The snow had slowed, barely leaving a dusting on the ground. She did not think she had overreacted, though. It still would have been dangerous driving, because she was not used to it.

She got up slowly. Her confidence had failed, and Mai was uncertain if she had read too deeply into what had happened.

"Is it cold out there?" she asked.

"I've felt worse." He ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the snowflakes.

Mai had crossed the room without thinking. She stood as close to him as a dance partner would.

"Mai," Naru said softly, "Don't."

"Do you have feelings for me?"

"I gave you my answer to that question years ago."

She almost backed off. He was right, why was she trying to hurt herself again? No, Mai thought, she wasn't going to back down this time.

She hardened her expression. "You didn't answer me then. You told me what _I_ should be feeling, not what you were."

She could no longer read the look in his eyes, so she stepped away. "I just don't understand," she said. "It's not like you haven't touched me before."

"Not intimately."

"You're afraid of intimacy?"

"Don't simplify my emotions like that."

"Ah," Mai said, a biting tone creeping into her voice, "So your emotions are more complicated than I can comprehend."

He looked away, then said, "I had a girl kiss me in my late teens. In that moment, not only did I see a boy from her past – I foresaw men that would show up later in her life."

"Just faces?" Mai envisioned a list of photos, like one would carry in a wallet.

"No, I experienced each kiss. Since she was also had clairvoyant tendencies, she lived – and relived – them with me as visions."

The girl was psychic? Did that mean… "You kissed _Masako_?"

"She kissed _me_."

Mai felt an indignation rise in her throat, but it wasn't because of jealousy. It was a sensation that Masako had overstepped a boundary by kissing him, obviously without any prior permission. It was a violation to him that Mai had never crossed. She wondered if he respected her for that, or if he didn't care either way.

"I guess that was about the time she stopped pursuing you," Mai commented, watching him as he went to retrieve the papers he had not finished.

Years ago, Masako had given up on Naru with seemingly no reason. Mai wondered why Masako hadn't told her. The experience must have been more painful than she would have wanted to admit.

*.*

"If you have to worry about former lovers and future rivals," Mai said, wrapping her arms around herself, "I guess that would rule out sex."

He looked up, an eyebrow raised. "We're not starting on my sex life."

"Do you want to hear about mine? It's non-existent." Mai's tongue felt loose. It was a mix of being overtired, the stress from earlier, and too much caffeine. "It's because I fell in love at a young age and never gave my body away. I had this boss who dragged me all over the country on cases and I didn't even get any kissing in while all my friends were going steady. But that was okay, because for some reason, I enjoyed being close to him."

Mai crumpled onto the couch. After she finished her spill of words, he leaned close to her.

"Psychometry has synced me to many crimes over the years," he said. "Quite a few have involved rape."

Mai's eyes widened. "Oh," she choked out. "Oh, Naru."

"I'm not looking for your pity," he said, straightening up.

She couldn't help it, she caught his sleeve. "Then what are you looking for? Why tell me now?"

He looked at her hand on his arm, then at her face where teardrops were silently falling. The tears were for him, even if he didn't want them.

"I don't know," Naru said.

"I don't have to have your body to love you, you know. I've lived without it for eight years." She released his arm and wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "Well, almost eight years. I did hate you for the first few days."

There was a hint of a smile on his face, so quick she almost missed it. "You say that now," he said, "but next I will hear rumors that I am not satisfying you."

Naru took the stack of papers to his office, and Mai rose from the couch once more and followed him.

Naru set the papers on the desk, then turned and almost ran into her. She set a hand on his chest so he wouldn't move around her. The racing of her heart had concerned her, until Mai felt his keeping the same pace.

She was forcing herself on him, wasn't she? How did that make her any different than Masako?

She met his eyes, seeking permission. Under his mask, there was a spark of interest in what she was going to do next.

Ah, she thought, that was a good question. She did not have any experience in this. And it had not crossed her mind until this point that he was exactly the same.

While her mind hesitated, her body acted, reaching up and bringing her lips to his. Mai's arms snaked around his neck, her weight pressing Naru against his desk.

He wasn't kissing her back, so Mai released his lips. She kept her arms where they were, certain that this was the last time she would be so close to him.

She buried her face into his neck, waiting for the verdict.


	4. 04

Thanks so much for the favorites, alerts and comments! You guys are awesome, so I decided not to make you wait so long for the remaining chapters. ^_^ I'll post the last one tomorrow.

Chapter Rated "M" for Mature. Contains Adult Scenes.

* * *

><p>They stood like that in silence. Mai wished she could see his face, but she did not want to pull away.<p>

"Mai?"

"Hmm?"

"You're hurting my neck."

"Sorry," she murmured, sliding her arms off of him. Naru caught her wrists before she moved away.

Mai glanced at her pinned hands, and then looked up, searching his face. If anything, she would have said he looked slightly dazed. "Did you see someone?" she asked.

"I did," he said. "Me."

"Sounds lonely," she said. I should have known, she thought. I was the one who nicknamed him Naru.

She started when he leaned down and set his forehead against hers. "Mai, don't be so dense."

"I'm not dense, I'm naïve," she said, her skin tingling at the contact. "You'll have to take me as I am, since I don't think I'm going to grow out of it."

"I was talking about _your_ future."

It took her a moment to realize he had gone back to the original conversation. "You're the only guy in my future?"

"There was no one in your past, as well."

"I told you that earlier," Mai said. She lifted her chin, brushing her lips against his. This time he allowed her to part his lips, giving her access to his mouth. He had a bitter aftertaste, like his tea. Her arms of their own accord found their way around his neck again, and she felt one of his hands tangle in her hair. Naru's other hand gripped the edge of the desk behind him to steady them.

Mai deepened the kiss, moving her tongue around his. Her mind worked feverishly on not how far to take this, but where. The desk or the floor was looking like a fine option at the moment. For her, how far was already decided. If Naru was really hers, she was ready to consummate it, right now. However, she did not know if that would even happen tonight. Mai had realized she was dealing with a victim of abuse, even if it had never been to his own body.

They broke for air, noses touching. There was a hush between them, but Mai knew Naru was not as far away as he appeared to be. The distance of emotion was a part of him, and she could not imagine him any other way.

Mai said softly, "Can I make you mine?"

After a moment, he said, "Yes."

*.*

The couch was a good idea, Mai thought hazily. She just couldn't remember whose idea it had been.

Naru was lying on the couch with Mai spanning his hips. His shirt was unbuttoned, while hers had been lost in the short distance between here and his office. She was in the process of removing her white bra with a small amount of lace trim. Mai undid the clasp and slid it off of her shoulders slowly, suddenly feeling a touch of shyness at what she was so boldly doing. She paused, looking for approval. There was no encouragement from him, yet no discouragement.

Mai leaned forward to kiss him. She instinctively ground her hips into his, causing Naru to make a throaty sound into her mouth. Her body approved as the hum reverberated to between her legs.

She sat up and swung a leg over. Mai shimmied out of her jeans, leaving herself stripped except for her pale pink panties that rode low on the hips. She turned and assisted in removing his slacks. Her resolve wavered when she found him not erect under his briefs.

He took her hand and pulled her to lie next to him. The couch wasn't quite wide enough, so he shifted to be slightly on top of her.

Her eyes searched his face. "I'm doing something wrong-"

"No," he cut her off. "Just continue."

She gave a nod. Mai wondered if she could truly remove the guards he kept in place. One of his hands still held hers, so she moved it to the breast that he was not partially resting on. Naru released her hand to cup the soft skin of her breast. She placed small kisses along his jaw line.

"Na-" Mai's breath hitched as he ran his thumb over the nipple. The name she had almost said suddenly didn't sound right. "Oliver," she said, hearing her voice tremble. Even after many years of him using no honorifics on her name, she had never called him by his real one.

There was a catch to his own breath, but otherwise his only response was to cover her mouth with his.

She drew a leg up around his hips, letting the friction build from the thin fabric they still wore as she pressed her crotch into his shaft. When she felt him hardening, Mai moved so Naru was under her. She pulled off her underwear and helped him out of his.

Mai straddled his thighs and moved a slow finger up his erection.

"Pleased with yourself?" Naru said, his voice slightly hoarse.

Almost, Mai thought. She lifted herself up and sank onto him, taking him easier than she expected. She raised her hips and slid down again, setting a pace driven by his soft groans.

They let the pressure grow gradually. When release came, it was satisfying.


	5. 05

"Mai."

Mai stirred on the couch and opened one eye. Naru stood over her, already in his slacks, his shirt undone. Only Naru could make yesterday's outfit look more than passable.

"Five more minutes," she said, starting to burrow back under the covers.

"Taka-san wants to talk to you."

Mai sat upright, the blankets falling off of her bare shoulders. "Is she here?"

He shook his head and placed the cell phone in her hand.

Mai glowered at him. She had been certain Taka had just walked into the office. She shook her head to clear away the sleep and said "Hello," into the phone.

"Good morning," Taka replied, much too cheerful, in Mai's opinion, for so early. "The streets look clear, so I was on my way out. I wanted to know if you needed me to bring anything."

"A change of clothes would be great," Mai said. She couldn't see herself going to the case in yesterday's clothes. She untangled herself from the blankets and stretched.

"You have a spare outfit in the closet," Taka reminded her. "I had you put it there when you kept ruining your clothes during investigations and stealing my backup outfits."

"Oh yeah," Mai said. "Thanks, I hope they are not too wrinkled." She had forgotten, because she had ended up never using the clothes after she had put them there.

Taka laughed. "See you in a bit."

Mai surveyed the blankets that were clearly occupying only one couch, and her jeans and underclothes piled on the floor. 'A little bit' was going to be much too soon.

*.*

Mai put away the blankets and retrieved the outfit that was on a shelf. After getting dressed in the slightly creased knee-length denim skirt and light blue shirt, Mai hunted down yesterday's blouse. She found it outside Naru's office, innocently resting on the floor.

She peered into the office. Naru was silently and quickly working on the paperwork for today's case, which he was supposed to have finished yesterday.

He looked up, and she grinned, earning herself a slightly impatient, "What?"

"It's just funny to see you behind in something," she said. And knowing I was the cause of it, Mai thought.

Mai left before he could answer so she could unite the blouse with the rest of the clothes she had folded the best she could. Mai didn't want Taka to come in and wonder why Mai was carrying it around.

She even managed to make tea before her co-worker arrived. Mai could only imagine how suspicious it would have looked if there had been none made.

But in the end, it was all in vain. Taka entered the office, looked at her friend's bright face, and _knew_.

Taka's eyes widened and Mai was afraid she was going to squeal in excitement. Taka glanced over to Naru's office, and casually walked over to Mai. She whispered in Mai's ear, "You look pleased with yourself."

"Hu-hush," Mai stammered.

Taka narrowed her eyes. "Details later, then?"

"N-no!"

Taka put her hands on her hips. She was too short to look imposing, but Mai had seen over the years what she was capable of when miffed.

Naru stepped out of the office and said, "Mai, I'm going to pick up a change of clothes at my apartment."

"Then we should go now," Mai said quickly, leaping for her coat. "See you later, Taka."

Taka nodded, a faint smile on her face.

*.*

Once outside the office, Mai realized that Naru had not actually asked her to come with.

"Uh," she said, "Do you want to take my car? I guess we can just go straight to the case afterwards."

"That's fine."

"You'll need to give me directions," she admitted. Mai had only been to the apartment Naru had moved to once, and that had been with Madoka.

The apartment was in a nice, upscale neighborhood. Mai figured she could probably afford the rent with her salary – she just would have to give up necessities like food.

She parked where Naru indicated, and turned off the engine.

Silence reigned.

Mai felt like she was standing at the brink of something. She didn't know if she was supposed to step back, or jump.

"I love you," Mai said.

"Why?" His tone was more serious than she expected.

"Why," she said, "Do I have to have a reason?" She leaned over and brushed her lips against his, pulling back before he felt he had to respond. "I don't care if you call it love," she said. "That's just what I call it."

Naru opened the door. "Are you coming in?"

Mai blinked at him. "Me, in a place like that? I'm going to feel out of place."

"You're going to want to get used to it. Wait until you see my parents' place."

Her lips parted slightly in shock, and she got out of the car. "Was that an invitation to meet your parents?" she asked, her voice teasing. She had met Martin and Luella multiple times.

He leveled a look at her. "You don't have to worry about that. I think Luella had been planning our marriage since she first saw you."

I guess, she thought, everyone knew except us.

"If I come in with you, we might end up being late for the case," she said.

"I'll blame it on the weather," Naru said.

She looked at the blue sky, and the lightest dusting of snow on the ground. The flakes glittered in the winter sun.

When her eyes came back to him, she realized he was offering his hand to her. She felt the significance of the gesture. She took his hand, slightly hesitant, and then intertwined her fingers with his.

_-fin-_

* * *

><p>This story was inspired by two songs: <em>Far Away<em> by Nickelback and _Call it Love_ by Poco.

Thanks for reading. ^_^


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